(Newser)
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If a World Series title is worth $317 million, then the New York Yankees probably deserve a pat on the back. If not, well, the team might be regretting its payments to Alex Rodriguez. By the time A-Rod collects his last payment as a player from the Yankees next year, he will have received more than $317 million from team, the AP reports. Luxury tax caused by his deal totaled an additional $132 million through this year, although the Yankees could have spent more money on other players had A-Rod not been on the roster. Was it worth it, given that the Yankees won one World Series title during his years in pinstripes? "One individual is not responsible for winning only one world championship, because that's part of the team effort," general manager Brian Cashman says. "He had a big piece of that success and in most cases more so than most."

New York acquired Rodriguez from Texas in February 2004. In all, he'll earn about $448 million as a player, including $119 million from Texas and about $12 million from Seattle. Heading into his last game Friday, the 41-year-old has hit .284 with 351 homers and 1,094 RBIs for the Yankees, helping them win their 27th Series title in 2009 but often failing in other postseasons. He won AL MVP awards in 2005 and 2007, raising his total to three. On Dec. 13, 2007—the same day the Mitchell Report on drugs in baseball was released—Rodriguez finalized a $275 million, 10-year contract to remain with the Yankees. He was suspended by Major League Baseball for the entire 2014 season for violations of the sport's drug agreement and labor contract, and an arbitrator cut his $25 million salary for that season to $2,868,852, taking away 162/183rds of the total.